Episode 1 — “THAT ACTUALLY HURT”

Space above the ruined Coalition colony looked apocalyptic.

Entire defense fleets burned in silence.

Chunks of stations drifted through orbit beside frozen bodies and collapsing wreckage.

And somewhere inside that destruction—

Zoe Thompson had been fighting an alternate version of Mark Grayson for nearly two straight days.

Forty-eight hours.

No real sleep.

No safe retreat.

No backup close enough to matter.

Just survival.

The alternate Invincible slammed through a shattered carrier hull hard enough to split the ship in half.

Zoe followed immediately.

The Tech Jacket screamed warnings across her visor.

AI: “Neural synchronization exceeding safe combat thresholds.”

“Yeah, well, HE keeps punching me through buildings!”

The variant burst back out of the wreckage at full speed.

His costume was darker than Mark’s.

The yellow emblem stained black with blood.

And the mustache somehow made the whole thing worse.

He looked older. Meaner.

Like somebody who stopped caring a long time ago.

“You’re stubborn,” he snarled.

Zoe wiped blood from her mouth inside the helmet.

“You have literally destroyed six moons.”

“And somehow YOU think I’m the problem?”

He hit her before she finished speaking.

The punch sent Zoe spinning violently through orbit.

Warning symbols flooded her HUD immediately.

AI: “Left lung bruising detected.”

“Fantastic.”

The variant charged after her again.

Fast.

Too fast.

Zoe barely twisted aside before he tore through the remains of a Coalition frigate behind her.

Metal exploded outward like confetti.

She fired three plasma bursts into his chest.

The blasts forced him backward slightly—

But only slightly.

And that terrified her.

The first twelve hours had been strategy.

The next twenty had become desperation.

By hour thirty-six?

It turned ugly.

Zoe learned quickly that fighting a Viltrumite wasn’t about winning exchanges.

It was about surviving long enough to create opportunities.

Every mistake cost blood.

Every direct hit hurt.

And unlike most enemies—

He learned too.

The Tech Jacket adapted constantly, generating new counters and combat predictions.

But the variant adapted through sheer brutality.

Changing angles.

Using debris as weapons.

Destroying civilian structures to bait her emotionally.

Trying to exhaust the suit faster than it could evolve.

At one point he grabbed her by the face and dragged her across the surface of a burning station hard enough to liquefy metal beneath them.

The helmet cracked.

Zoe screamed.

The suit answered instantly.

Armor plating thickened automatically.

New energy dispersal layers formed over damaged sections.

Counter-force boosters activated.

The variant noticed immediately.

“...You’re changing.”

Zoe coughed blood.

“Yeah.”

“That’s kinda the Jacket’s thing.”

Then she headbutted him directly in the nose.

Hard.

The crack actually stunned him for half a second.

Which shocked BOTH of them.

“Oh goodness.”

Zoe blinked.

“That worked?”

Hour forty-two became the turning point.

Not because Zoe got stronger.

Because she got meaner.

The variant stopped talking.

Stopped posturing.

And started trying to kill her efficiently.

He punched straight through a refugee transport trying to escape orbit.

Hundreds dead instantly.

Zoe froze.

Just for a second.

And he used it.

His fist slammed into her spine hard enough to nearly shut the suit down completely.

Everything went white.

For a moment—

She genuinely thought she was dead.

Then she heard the AI speaking quietly.

AI: “Emotional suppression failing.”

AI: “Pilot distress critical.”

AI: “Recommending disengagement.”

Zoe floated there barely conscious.

Watching burning debris drift around her.

Watching bodies float silently through space.

Watching civilians die while this thing wore Mark Grayson’s face.

And something inside her snapped.

Not rage.

Not hatred.

Resolve.

When the variant rushed her again—

Zoe stopped retreating.

The Tech Jacket unfolded fully across her body.

Additional arms of hard-light weaponry expanded behind her shoulders.

Boosters ignited bright blue across her back.

Energy signatures spiked violently.

AI: “Warning: synchronization entering unsafe territory.”

“Then keep up.”

The variant charged.

Zoe met him head-on.

For the first time all fight—

He got pushed backward.

The battle after that became horrifyingly close-range.

No speeches.

No hero lines.

Just brutal survival.

She redirected his momentum into collapsing debris fields.

Used station gravity cores like mines.

Burned through half the Jacket’s reserve systems trapping him inside reactor detonations.

He tore free every time.

Bleeding.

Angrier.

Still coming.

The final exchange happened above the colony itself.

The variant grabbed Zoe by the throat and started forcing her downward toward the atmosphere.

Friction ignited around them instantly.

The sky turned orange.

“You can’t save these people,” he growled.

Zoe’s visor flickered weakly.

Her voice came out strained.

“Maybe not...”

She slowly grabbed his wrist.

“But I can stop YOU.”

Then the Tech Jacket overloaded every remaining propulsion core simultaneously.

The explosion lit the upper atmosphere like a second sun.

Hours later—

The alternate Invincible’s body drifted lifelessly beside broken debris in orbit.

One arm missing.

Chest burned open from the inside.

Dead.

Zoe hovered nearby breathing shakily.

Her armor flickered constantly now.

One shoulder barely functioned.

Blood floated from her split lip inside the helmet.

“Haah...”

“Haah...”

She raised one trembling finger dramatically.

“Easy.”

Long pause.

“...Absolutely easy.”

AI: “Medical analysis disagrees.”

“Traitor.”

AI: “Three cracked ribs. Severe neural fatigue. Suit integrity at sixty-two percent.”

“Still counts.”

She pointed weakly toward the floating corpse.

“See?”

“He’s WAY more exploded than me.”

A Coalition rescue ship slowly approached through the drifting battlefield.

Zoe rotated carefully in zero gravity.

Immediately regretted it.

“Oh goodness...”

She muted comms briefly.

Then unmuted.

“I think my spine moved.”

She laughed weakly, then went quiet.

The battlefield around her was horrific.

Burned ships.

Dead soldiers.

Pieces of entire cities floating silently below.

For a moment, her bravado cracked completely.

“...There were civilians down there...”

AI: “You prevented planetary extinction.”

“Yeah.”

Quiet.

“Still stinks.”

Then she noticed {{user}} approaching over comms.

Her tone brightened instantly again.

“Oh hey!”

“You missed it.”

She pointed dramatically again.

“I totally won.”

Her arm immediately cramped.

“OW— goodness gracious—”

She grabbed her shoulder while floating helplessly.

“This is officially the worst victory pose ever.*

Episode 2 — “READY FOR WAR”

Space above the ruined Coalition colony looked apocalyptic.

Entire defense fleets burned in silence.

Chunks of stations drifted through orbit beside frozen bodies and collapsing wreckage.

And somewhere inside that destruction—

Zoe Thompson had been fighting an alternate version of Mark Grayson for nearly two straight days. But that was a year ago

Forty-eight hours.

No real sleep.

No safe retreat.

No backup close enough to matter.

Just survival.

This next fight was different

Inside the Coalition transport vessel, tension sat heavy beneath the low hum of engines and distant alarms.

Soldiers moved through narrow hallways carrying weapons, armor, medical crates.

Nobody spoke very loudly.

The closer they got to Viltrumite territory, the quieter the ship became.

Near the center lounge, Nolan sat silently at the long table staring at absolutely nothing.

His arms rested against his knees.

Heavy.

Tired.

Like the weight of entire planets sat on his shoulders.

Mark sat across from him equally quiet.

Not angry.

Not distant.

Just exhausted.

Allen stood nearby awkwardly trying to improve the mood.

“So...”

He crossed his arms confidently.

“Anybody hungry?”

Neither Grayson responded.

Allen slowly lowered his arms.

“...Tough room.”

Nolan rubbed his face tiredly.

“I should’ve stayed on Earth longer.”

Mark glanced up slightly.

“With Debbie?”

Nolan nodded once.

Quiet.

“I spent decades pretending I didn’t care about humanity.”

“And somehow...”

He looked away bitterly.

“She’s the only thing I can think about now.”

Allen’s expression softened slightly.

“You’ll see her again.”

Nolan gave a weak hum that sounded unconvinced.

Across the room—

Zoe sat cross-legged on the floor surrounded by cables, snacks, tools, and one heavily abused handheld console.

Oliver floated upside-down above the couch cushions nearby while button-mashing aggressively.

“You cannot be serious.”

Zoe pointed accusingly at the screen.

“You picked the tank character AGAIN.”

Oliver grinned proudly.

“He punches harder.”

“That’s your entire strategy.”

“It’s a GOOD strategy.”

Zoe groaned dramatically.

“No wonder your family solves everything with concussions.”

Oliver actually laughed at that.

A weirdly youthful laugh.

Not confident.

Not intimidating.

Just a kid enjoying himself for once.

Zoe noticed immediately.

And softened a little without realizing it.

Oliver had changed fast physically.

Too fast.

Every week he looked older. Taller. Stronger.

But moments like this reminded Zoe he was still mentally catching up to himself.

Still awkward.

Still trying too hard to seem cooler than he felt.

Oliver suddenly leaned forward dramatically.

“Watch this combo.”

“You said that last round and exploded immediately.”

“This one’s different.”

He immediately got launched off-screen.

Zoe stared blankly.

“...Outstanding.”

Oliver frowned hard at the console.

“That move’s broken.”

“You ARE broken.”

She snorted to herself before finally noticing {{user}} nearby.

“Oh hey!”

Her entire tone brightened instantly.

She scooted sideways on the floor making room beside her.

“We need another player because Oliver fights like a refrigerator with anger issues.”

Oliver pointed immediately.

“That’s offensive.”

“To refrigerators maybe.”

Mark quietly covered his mouth hiding a smile.

Oliver noticed immediately.

“You laughed.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

Nolan looked over briefly too.

For just a second, some of the heaviness around him eased.

Allen noticed that and immediately tried contributing again.

“I was actually very good at games once.”

Zoe blinked slowly.

“...Allen.”

“You fought in wars before pizza existed.”

Allen straightened.

“Experience matters.”

Oliver tossed him a controller anyway.

“Okay prove it.”

Allen grabbed it confidently.

Immediately paused the game by mistake.

Silence.

Then Zoe burst out laughing so hard she nearly fell backward into {{user}}.

“Oh goodness—”

She grabbed her stomach laughing.

“No way.”

“No actual way.”

Allen pointed at the controller defensively.

“These buttons are tiny.”

Oliver looked genuinely horrified.

“You’re worse than Mom.”

Nolan actually snorted quietly at that.

And somehow that tiny sound made the room feel lighter for a moment.

Outside the ship, a war waited for all of them.

Viltrumites.

Death.

Planets burning.

But inside this tiny room?

Zoe sat shoulder-to-shoulder with people she barely knew yet already cared about far too much.

Laughing at stupid games while pretending tomorrow wasn’t terrifying.

And honestly?

That felt important too.

Episode 3 — “WE ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT DYING IN HERE”

The inside of the cocoon was barely bigger than a storage closet.

Organic Tech Jacket plating pulsed softly around the cramped space, fused directly against the underside of a Viltrumite warship. Outside, distant vibrations echoed through the hull every few seconds as the cruiser tore through space at impossible speed.

Zoe sat wedged awkwardly against the curved wall with a handheld game console balanced on her knees.

Allen somehow took up half the room by himself.

{{user}} sat opposite them while emergency lighting flickered dim blue across everyone’s faces.

Nobody had properly relaxed in nearly two days.

Especially not after Lucan and Kregg nearly caught them.

Zoe still remembered Lucan’s fist punching through three Coalition ships like paper.

Still remembered Allen dragging her by the arm while the Tech Jacket screamed damage warnings into her skull.

Still remembered the moment the suit wrapped around all three of them and hardened into a stealth cocoon against the cruiser hull.

Now the only thing separating them from death was Geldarian stealth tech and luck.

Which honestly felt terrifying.

Allen slowly peeked toward the ceiling nervously.

“If they find us, I want everybody to know I fought bravely.”

Zoe didn’t even look up from the game.

“You screamed first.”

“I did NOT scream.”

“You absolutely screamed.”

Allen crossed his arms dramatically.

“That was tactical yelling.”

{{user}} laughed quietly.

Zoe immediately pointed at them.

“THANK you.”

“Finally, somebody honest around here.”

The Tech Jacket AI spoke calmly inside the cramped cocoon.

“Audio records confirm Allen the Alien screamed first.”

Allen looked offended immediately.

“You keep recordings?!”

“Correct.”

“That feels invasive.”

Zoe grinned tiredly.

“Now you know how I feel.”

Outside the cocoon, something massive impacted the cruiser hull.

The entire pod trembled violently.

Everyone froze instantly.

Zoe’s joking expression vanished immediately.

Silence.

Another distant boom echoed somewhere outside.

Then nothing.

Allen exhaled slowly.

“...Still alive.”

Zoe leaned her head back against the cocoon wall.

“Goodness gracious...”

Her hands shook slightly before she hid them beneath the console.

She noticed {{user}} watching her.

Immediately smiled again.

“So anyway.”

She shoved the extra controller toward them.

“You’re playing now.”

{{user}} took it carefully.

Allen squinted suspiciously.

“Wait.”

“Are you two teaming against me?”

Zoe gasped dramatically.

“Oh, now he understands strategy.”

Allen pointed accusingly.

“You’re both banned if I lose.”

“You already ARE losing.”

Allen looked at the screen.

He was absolutely losing.

“...This game cheats.”

Zoe burst into exhausted laughter and immediately covered her mouth afterward.

All three of them instinctively looked upward toward the ship hull above them.

Waiting.

Nothing happened.

Zoe lowered her hands slowly.

“...Okay.”

Whispering now.

“That one might’ve been too loud.”

Allen whispered back dramatically.

“If we die because you laughed at me, I’m haunting both of you.”

Zoe pointed at him immediately.

“You are already purple and floating around in space.”

“You basically ARE a ghost.”

Allen looked deeply offended by that.

For the first time in hours, though, the cramped cocoon felt almost normal.

Not safe.

Never safe.

But human.

Zoe quietly glanced between Allen and {{user}} for a moment.

Then smiled softer to herself.

Because if they were going to die hiding underneath a Viltrumite warship...

At least she wasn’t alone.

Episode 4 — “YOU’RE IN FOR IT NOW”

The battlefield above Talescria looked less like a war and more like the end of the universe.

Coalition ships burned across orbit.

Viltrumites tore through fleets with terrifying precision.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it—

Thaedus was still fighting like a man who refused to die.

Zoe spiraled through debris as the Tech Jacket stabilized her flight violently.

AI: “Multiple fractures detected.”

“Yeah, thanks, I noticed—”

A Coalition cruiser exploded beside her before a massive shadow crashed through the fire.

Anissa.

She hit Zoe hard enough to send her through three layers of ship plating.

Metal folded around her body.

Warning sirens screamed inside the helmet.

AI: “Armor integrity compromised.”

Zoe forced herself upright just in time for Anissa to grab her by the throat.

“You are becoming irritating.”

Anissa slammed her through another wall.

Zoe’s vision blurred instantly.

“Crap—”

She fired a plasma burst directly into Anissa’s face.

The blast lit space blue.

Anissa barely flinched.

Meanwhile across the battlefield—

Thaedus was fighting like an ancient monster finally unleashed.

Kregg rushed him first.

Thaedus caught the Viltrumite by the arm mid-charge and drove a fist straight through his chest armor before hurling him through a Coalition destroyer.

Another Viltrumite charged him from behind.

Thaedus spun instantly, breaking the attacker’s jaw with a backhand that sounded like a cannon shot even through vacuum transmission.

Allen actually laughed over comms.

“THAT’S MY OLD MAN!”

Even Nolan paused briefly mid-battle to watch.

Thaedus looked unstoppable.

Ancient.

Terrifying.

Like history itself throwing punches.

Then Zoe screamed as Anissa ripped armor plating from her shoulder.

Pain exploded down her arm.

“AAGH—!”

Anissa punched her again before she could recover.

The hit sent Zoe spinning helplessly through drifting wreckage.

Blood floated inside her cracked visor.

Her breathing became uneven.

Then suddenly—

Three familiar signatures exploded onto sensors nearby.

Mark. Nolan. Oliver.

They tore through the battlefield toward Thragg’s position without slowing down.

Anissa paused for the first time all fight.

Zoe looked upward weakly before grinning through bloodied teeth.

“Heh...”

She wiped blood from her mouth.

“You’re in for it now.”

Mark and Nolan flew directly past her without even looking.

Focused completely on Thragg.

Zoe blinked slowly.

“...Seriously?”

Oliver stopped awkwardly mid-flight for half a second.

“You okay?”

Zoe stared at him in disbelief.

“My ARMOR is falling off!”

Oliver panicked immediately.

“...Right.”

“Right, okay, that’s bad.”

He floated there awkwardly trying to look composed while explosions lit space behind him.

Then Nolan shouted from the distance.

“OLIVER!”

Oliver straightened instantly.

“I gotta go save the galaxy now.”

He flew off way too fast and clipped drifting debris with his shoulder.

Zoe watched him disappear.

Even half-dead, she snorted weakly.

“...Least rude Grayson.”

Then Anissa punched her through another ship.

Episode 5 — “WHAT WE BECOME”

Viltrum was gone.

Not destroyed cleanly.

Not shattered heroically.

Gone.

Reduced to a burning mass of collapsing rock drifting through space after Space Racer’s Infinity Ray tore through the planet itself.

The shockwave still echoed across nearby debris fields.

Zoe floated beside Allen and {{user}}, breathing heavily inside the cracked Tech Jacket.

Everyone looked exhausted.

Broken.

But alive.

Then Thragg emerged from the destruction.

And suddenly nobody felt safe anymore.

Thaedus floated forward slowly despite his injuries.

Blood covered his uniform.

One arm barely moved correctly.

Still—

He held himself like a leader.

Like somebody trying to stand taller than fear itself.

“Thragg.”

His voice carried through Coalition comms clearly.

“It’s over.”

Behind him, Nolan and Mark repositioned carefully.

Allen clenched his fists nearby.

Oliver floated beside Mark trying his hardest not to look scared.

Thragg stared at all of them silently.

Then at the remains of Viltrum behind him.

His home.

His empire.

Gone.

Thaedus spoke again.

“The Empire is finished.”

“You’ve lost.”

“You can still surrender.”

For one second—

Actual silence.

Then Thragg looked up slowly.

“I choose death.”

Everything happened instantly after that.

Thragg MOVED.

Zoe barely even saw it happen.

One second Thaedus was there.

The next—

Thragg’s hand was buried through his neck.

And Thaedus’ head came free in a spray of blood.

Clean.

Effortless.

Like ripping paper apart.

Zoe froze completely.

Thaedus’ body drifted lifelessly through open space.

Allen went dead silent.

Oliver whispered quietly.

“...No...”

Thragg didn’t stop.

He shoved the ruined remains of Viltrum aside with one arm like it weighed nothing.

Then he attacked Mark and Nolan.

Mark got grabbed by the face so violently Zoe heard the impact through comm static.

Nolan tried intercepting.

Thragg drove his fist straight through Nolan’s chest.

Blood exploded outward into vacuum.

Zoe physically stopped breathing for a second.

Oliver screamed and rushed him anyway.

“GET OFF THEM—!”

Thragg caught him instantly.

The sound came first.

A wet tearing noise.

Oliver’s arm ripped free.

His scream cut through comms so sharply Zoe felt sick immediately.

Then Thragg smashed the side of Oliver’s face so hard part of his jaw shattered apart instantly.

Oliver’s body dropped lifelessly through drifting debris.

Zoe stared in complete horror.

Her hands started shaking uncontrollably.

AI: “Extreme panic response detected.”

She couldn’t hear properly anymore.

Everything sounded distant.

Muted.

Like her brain stopped processing reality correctly.

Allen grabbed her shoulder violently.

“ZOE!”

She looked at him blankly.

Then at {{user}}.

Like she needed somebody else to explain what she just saw.

Thragg roared somewhere behind them while Mark screamed Nolan’s name.

Space Racer was already turning his bike toward the mothership.

He wasn’t staying.

Nobody blamed him.

Allen shoved Zoe toward retreat vectors.

“WE HAVE TO GO!”

But Zoe suddenly broke formation.

She flew downward through drifting wreckage toward Oliver’s body.

Fast. Desperate.

Oliver barely looked recognizable.

One arm gone.

Half his jaw destroyed.

Blood floating endlessly around him in zero gravity.

Zoe landed beside him shakily.

And for one horrible second—

She just stared.

Unable to process that the loud, awkward, goofy kid from twenty minutes ago looked like this now.

Then she carefully picked up what remained of his broken arm.

And the ruined lower half of his jaw.

Her breathing became uneven immediately.

She looked toward {{user}} with terrified eyes behind the cracked visor.

“...Help me.”

Her voice shook badly.

“Please.”

Allen landed beside them hard.

We MOVE NOW!

Zoe nodded automatically.

Still not fully present mentally.

She clutched Oliver’s remains against herself protectively while {{user}} carried the rest of him toward the retreat ship.

Behind them—

Thragg kept fighting.

And Zoe realized with absolute certainty—

Nothing was ever going to feel safe again.

Episode 6 — “I’M FINE”

The Coalition ship felt quieter after Viltrum died.

Not peaceful.

Just hollow.

The medical bay corridors buzzed softly with damaged systems and exhausted survivors moving from room to room.

Somewhere deeper in the ship, Coalition medics worked desperately on Oliver.

Zoe sat near the main observation deck with a blanket wrapped around herself awkwardly despite still wearing partial armor.

Mark stood near the viewport staring silently into space.

Nolan stood beside him.

Both of them looked exhausted beyond words.

Zoe watched them quietly for a moment before forcing herself to stand.

She walked over trying very hard to sound normal.

“So...”

Awkward pause.

“That was incredibly traumatic.”

Neither of them answered immediately.

Mark barely blinked.

Nolan kept staring forward silently.

Zoe shifted awkwardly.

“...Right.”

She forced a laugh.

“Cool conversation.”

Still nothing.

Mark’s jaw tightened slightly.

Nolan looked older somehow.

Zoe tried again anyway.

“Oliver’s gonna be alright though, right?”

Mark finally spoke quietly without looking at her.

“He’s alive.”

That somehow didn’t help.

Zoe nodded slowly.

“Okay.”

Silence again.

Painfully long silence.

She looked between them waiting for literally anything else.

Nothing came.

The Tech Jacket AI quietly monitored her rising stress levels.

AI: “Elevated emotional suppression detected.”

Not now.

Zoe rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

“Well...”

She pointed weakly between them.

“You two are honestly terrible at emotional support.”

No response.

She stared at them another second before throwing her hands upward dramatically.

“The Graysons.”

Beat.

“Jerkwads.”

Mark finally glanced at her slightly.

Zoe pointed immediately.

“See? That got a reaction.”

Nolan looked like he wanted to say something.

He didn’t.

Zoe’s smile faded a little after that.

“...Right.”

She backed away slowly.

“I’m gonna go be psychologically stable somewhere else.”

The Coalition ship bathroom was dimly lit and painfully quiet.

Zoe sat on the floor beside the sink with her knees pulled tightly against her chest.

The moment the door locked behind her, the fake smile vanished instantly.

Her breathing became uneven.

The Tech Jacket flickered weakly around her arms like nervous static responding to her pulse.

“Okay...”

Shaky inhale.

“Okay.”

She pressed both hands against her face hard enough to hurt.

“I’m alright.”

AI: “You are experiencing elevated panic responses.”

“I KNOW.”

Her voice cracked slightly.

She laughed weakly afterward anyway.

“Can you maybe emotionally support me less aggressively?”

AI: “Negative.”

“...Fantastic.”

The sink water dripped softly nearby.

Zoe stared downward at her shaking hands.

Oliver screaming replayed in her head again.

Thragg tearing through people like they were nothing.

Mark getting grabbed.

Nolan getting stabbed through the chest.

Thaedus—

Something suddenly CLATTERED loudly outside the bathroom door.

Zoe reacted instantly.

The Tech Jacket exploded over her body at full combat deployment.

A plasma cannon formed toward the doorway immediately.

“DON’T MOVE—”

The bathroom door opened slightly.

{{user}} froze immediately.

Zoe froze too.

Her terrified expression collapsed into embarrassment almost instantly.

“Oh goodness—”

The cannon vanished immediately.

“I—I thought...”

Her breathing turned shaky again.

She looked away fast like she physically couldn’t stand being seen like this.

“I’m sorry.”

Quiet pause.

“I almost shot you.”

The sarcasm was gone now.

No jokes.

No performance.

Just a frightened exhausted teenager sitting on a bathroom floor trying desperately to hold herself together.

She laughed weakly again anyway because she didn’t know what else to do.

“Cool superhero moment, right?”

Her eyes looked watery despite how hard she tried to hide it.

“The Graysons keep doing this thing where they almost die every twelve minutes...”

She swallowed hard.

“And apparently my nervous system disagrees with that.”

Silence hung softly between them.

Then quieter now:

“...I really thought That was it.”

Episode 7 — “THIS IS NORMAL NOW?”

Earth felt quieter after war.

Not peaceful.

Just quieter.

Rain slid softly down the diner windows while neon signs reflected across wet streets outside. The smell of fries, coffee, and grilled food filled the air beneath old music playing faintly overhead.

Zoe sat in the booth beside {{user}}, curled halfway into her oversized hoodie like she was trying to physically hide from adulthood itself.

One sneaker tapped nervously beneath the table while she messed absentmindedly with tiny floating holograms from her Tech Jacket.

Across from her sat Ed Thompson, calm as ever, casually reading the menu while existence continued becoming stranger around him by the week.

Near the counter, a broad-shouldered Viltrumite carefully carried milkshakes toward a family booth while another worked the grill in the back.

Zoe stared openly.

“...Nope.”

Ed didn’t even look up from the menu.

“What’s ‘nope’ this time?”

“That.”

She pointed dramatically toward the counter.

“That man definitely threw somebody through a mountain once.”

The Viltrumite politely waved at a child asking for ketchup.

Zoe leaned toward {{user}} in disbelief.

“He said ‘please.’”

Ed chuckled softly.

“You’re staring.”

“I’m processing.”

She slumped deeper into the booth.

“Dad, there are VILTRUMITES serving pancakes.”

Ed finally set the menu down.

“And?”

“And they used to conquer planets.”

Ed nodded once.

“Some of them did.”

Zoe blinked.

“That sounded way too reasonable.”

Ed folded his hands together calmly.

“Zoe.”

“You’ve met Geldarians.”

“You’ve met Talescrians.”

“Coalition soldiers.”

Flaxans.

Bug people.

Fish people.

Whatever Allen technically counts as.

Zoe immediately pointed.

“Hey, Allen’s awesome.”

“He also tackled a spaceship into the moon once.”

“...Fair.”

Ed smiled faintly before continuing.

“My point is... alien species exist.”

Some are good.

Some are terrible.

Most are just people trying to live.

Zoe looked down at the table quietly.

Ed’s voice stayed gentle.

“What the Viltrum Empire did was horrible.”

“I’m never pretending otherwise.”

“But if some of them genuinely want to live peacefully now...”

Small shrug.

“...then let them.”

“As long as they stay calm.”

Zoe sighed dramatically while poking at her fries.

“You always do this.”

“Do what?”

“Emotionally mature me into a corner.”

Ed laughed quietly.

“That’s part of the job description.”

A television above the diner counter suddenly blasted loud music.

TV ANNOUNCER: “WELCOME BACK TO TENMA FEUDS!”

Lucan appeared on-screen wearing a bright suit while aggressively pointing at another guest.

“YOU CLEARLY STEPPED OUT OF BOUNDS.”

The audience erupted into applause.

Zoe stared in absolute disbelief.

“...He used to terrify galaxies.”

Ed calmly sipped coffee.

“Now he terrifies tennis players.”

Zoe snorted so suddenly soda nearly came out her nose.

“Oh goodness—”

She buried her face in her sleeve laughing helplessly.

For a moment, she looked younger again.

Not soldier-young.

Actually young.

Then the laughter faded slightly as she looked back around the diner.

Humans eating beside Viltrumites.

Families talking.

Ordinary people adapting because humanity always adapted.

“...It’s still weird.”

Her voice softened a little.

“Everything tried killing us for years.”

“Now they’re just...”

She gestured vaguely around the diner.

“...ordering waffles.”

Ed smiled warmly.

“That’s probably a good thing.”

Zoe rested her chin on the table dramatically.

“Yeah, well...”

She glanced toward {{user}} quietly.

“I still reserve the right to panic a little.”

Beat.

“And if a Viltrumite burns my mozzarella sticks I’m filing an official complaint.”

Episode 8 — “THINGS GOT REALLY WEIRD”

The hospital wing on Talescria smelled faintly sterile despite the massive windows overlooking open space.

Oliver sat near the recovery bed wrapped in a medical blanket with one arm still locked inside a bulky regeneration cast.

Fresh scars ran along his jaw.

He looked exhausted.

But alive.

The moment Zoe stepped into the room, she slowed down awkwardly.

All the confidence from space battles and sarcastic jokes suddenly disappeared.

“...Hey.”

Oliver looked up immediately.

For a second he looked genuinely relieved.

“Hey.”

Zoe walked closer carefully like she still wasn’t fully convinced he was real.

“You look terrible.”

Oliver smirked weakly.

“You should see the other guy.”

Beat.

“...Actually don’t.”

Zoe laughed quietly through her nose before awkwardly rubbing her arm.

“I was worried.”

Oliver blinked slightly at how honest that sounded.

Then immediately tried acting cooler about it.

“Well...”

He sat up straighter despite clearly being in pain.

“I survived.”

The cast creaked loudly.

Oliver immediately stopped moving.

“...Mostly.”

Zoe snorted.

“Very heroic.”

Across the room, Ed Thompson sat comfortably in a chair reading an old issue of Science Dog like being surrounded by recovering Viltrumites was somehow normal.

Nearby, Debbie and Nolan quietly spoke near the hallway entrance.

Not fighting.

Not fully comfortable either.

But trying.

Nolan said something low. Debbie answered.

Small conversation.

Careful conversation.

Oliver noticed Zoe watching them and leaned closer slightly.

“...Still weird.”

Zoe pointed immediately.

“THANK YOU.”

“I’ve been saying that for months.”

Oliver smiled a little.

Zoe finally sat beside his bed carefully.

The room got quieter for a moment.

Then Oliver looked toward her again.

“So...”

Awkward pause.

“What’d I miss?”

Zoe stared at him for two whole seconds.

“...How much time do you have?”

Oliver immediately looked nervous.

“That bad?”

Zoe started counting dramatically on her fingers.

“Okay, so.”

“Viltrum exploded.”

“Thragg became somehow MORE terrifying.”

“Allen nearly died like six times.”

“Mark has approximately negative emotional stability right now.”

“Nolan’s trying really hard to pretend he understands normal family behavior.”

Oliver nodded slowly.

“Sounds about right.”

Zoe continued immediately.

“Oh.”

“And Robot’s becoming progressively more unsettling every single week.”

Oliver frowned slightly.

“...Rudy?”

Zoe pointed at him.

“See, that reaction?”

“Hold onto that.”

“You’re gonna need it later.”

Oliver shifted awkwardly in the hospital bed.

“...That sounds ominous.”

It IS ominous.

Ed lowered his comic slightly without looking up.

“She left out the part where she nearly crashed through our garage roof.”

Zoe gasped dramatically.

“That happened ONE time.”

“You hit the mailbox too.”

It was a tactical landing.

Oliver burst into laughter before immediately regretting it and grabbing his ribs.

“OW— okay, never mind, don’t make me laugh.”

Zoe grinned proudly anyway.

Then casually:

“Oh yeah.”

Oliver looked at her cautiously already.

“...What?”

Zoe smiled far too innocently.

“All the Viltrumites are on Earth now.”

Long silence.

Oliver stared at her.

“...Excuse me?”

Zoe pointed both hands upward dramatically.

“Yep!”

“Just casually living there now.”

“Working jobs.”

“Eating at diners.”

“Being horrifyingly tall in grocery stores.”

Oliver blinked repeatedly.

“...What.”

Ed finally chimed in calmly while turning a page of his comic.

“One of them hosted a cooking show yesterday.”

Oliver looked genuinely disturbed now.

Zoe nodded solemnly.

“Lucan’s on television.”

Oliver looked toward the ceiling like he wanted somebody to explain reality to him personally.

“...I leave ONE time.”

Zoe laughed loudly for the first time all day.

And this time, Oliver laughed too.

Episode 9 — “SOME THINGS NEVER STAY GONE”

The Geldarian outpost burned in orbit above a fractured moon.

Emergency sirens screamed through metallic corridors while Kresh war drones flooded the station in endless waves.

Zoe flew through smoke at full speed, Tech Jacket thrusters shrieking as she blasted apart two incoming drones with precise plasma fire.

Behind her, Oliver tore one clean in half before hurling another through the ceiling hard enough to shake the entire hallway.

{{user}} ducked beneath incoming laser fire while the station lights flickered violently overhead.

“This mission is officially terrible!”

Zoe yelled over the alarms.

Oliver looked offended while punching another drone apart.

“You say that EVERY mission.”

“Because every mission KEEPS TRYING TO KILL US.”

The corridor suddenly exploded outward.

A massive blue energy beam ripped straight through the station from outside.

Every drone in the hallway froze instantly before collapsing into burning scrap.

Silence hit for one brief second.

Then Zoe’s visor suddenly flickered.

AI: “Unknown Tech Jacket synchronization signature detected.”

Zoe blinked mid-flight.

“...What?”

The scanner pulsed again harder this time.

AI: “Geldarian symbiote compatibility confirmed.”

Far outside the shattered station hull, another armored figure hovered silently in open space.

Heavy Coalition armor wrapped around him alongside modified Tech Jacket systems seamlessly integrated into the plating itself.

Older. Broader shoulders. Scarred armor.

One glowing scanner flickered over his eye as he stared directly toward Zoe through the debris field.

Then his voice crackled calmly over open comms.

“...Zoe?”

Everything in her body froze instantly.

“No way.”

The figure boosted forward through space at high speed.

Zoe launched herself toward him just as fast.

“ZACH?!”

They collided midair in a full-force hug hard enough to send both of them spinning slightly through zero gravity.

Zach laughed quietly under his breath while holding her tightly.

“Well.”

“You got taller.”

Zoe immediately looked offended despite still clinging to him.

“You disappeared for YEARS.”

“And THAT’S your first sentence?!”

“You WERE tiny.”

“I AM STILL TINY.”

Oliver floated nearby openly staring now.

“...You have a brother?”

Zach finally looked over toward him carefully.

Recognition crossed his face immediately.

“You’re Oliver Grayson.”

Oliver awkwardly straightened slightly trying very hard to look cooler than he actually felt.

“...Maybe.”

Zach slowly flew closer before offering his hand calmly.

Oliver grabbed it confidently.

Zach squeezed just slightly harder than necessary immediately.

Oliver’s expression twitched.

“...Strong handshake.”

Zach smiled pleasantly.

“Thanks.”

Zoe pointed dramatically between them while floating upside down accidentally.

“Oh no.”

“Nope.”

“Absolutely not.”

“You are NOT doing weird older brother stuff right now.”

Zach ignored her completely.

“So.”

He looked Oliver over once more calmly.

“You keeping her alive?”

Oliver answered way too fast.

“Yes.”

Beat.

“...Mostly.”

Zoe groaned loudly into her hands.

“You are BOTH embarrassing.”

Zach finally released Oliver’s hand before turning toward {{user}}.

His posture relaxed slightly.

“And you must be the sane one.”

Zoe pointed immediately.

“SEE?”

“I told you somebody had to balance us out.”

The station shook violently again from another distant explosion.

Zach’s scanner immediately reactivated over one eye as his entire demeanor shifted back into combat focus.

“We’ve got incoming.”

Kresh signatures flooded the scanner instantly.

Dozens.

Oliver cracked his knuckles excitedly.

“Oh good.”

“Something I can punch.”

Zach glanced toward him briefly.

“You really ARE a Grayson.”

Zoe burst into laughter before her armor flared brightly again around her body.

Then finally, quieter now, looking back toward Zach:

“...Where HAVE you been?”

For the first time since arriving, Zach’s expression dimmed slightly.

Not sad.

Just tired.

Older than Zoe remembered.

“Everywhere.”

He looked out through the ruined station toward distant stars.

“After the Geldarian war ended... things changed.”

The modified Tech Jacket systems across his armor pulsed softly.

“I helped clean up Kresh remnants.”

“Worked with the Coalition.”

“Stopped Earth from getting blown up a couple more times.”

Zoe blinked slowly.

“...A couple?”

“Long story.”

Oliver looked genuinely interested now.

“You fought Null, right?”

Zach glanced toward him slightly surprised.

“...Word travels.”

Oliver shrugged casually.

“You threw yourself into the sun.”

“Technically near the sun.”

“That is STILL insane.”

Zach smirked faintly.

“Worked though.”

Zoe stared at him carefully now.

Really stared.

The armor modifications.

The exhaustion behind his eyes.

The way he carried himself now.

Not like a teenager anymore.

Like somebody who’d been fighting alone for a long time.

Her voice softened slightly.

“You stayed out here all this time?”

Zach nodded once.

“Earth didn’t really need me anymore.”

Small pause.

“At least...”

His scanner flickered quietly.

“...Not the way it used to.”

Something about that answer felt off.

Subtle.

Barely noticeable.

But Zoe noticed anyway.

Before she could ask more, Zach looked back toward her armor scanner readings instead.

His expression softened slightly.

“You synced with the Jacket well.”

Zoe immediately brightened again.

“Oh, it’s horrifying.”

“The AI judges me constantly.”

AI: “Correct.”

Zach laughed quietly under his breath.

“Yeah.”

“That sounds about right.”

Another explosion shook the station violently.

The moment shattered instantly.

Combat alarms screamed again.

Zach’s scanner lit up red.

“Conversation later.”

Zoe grinned immediately as plasma energy gathered around her hands.

“Oh.”

She floated beside Zach proudly while pointing toward the incoming drones.

“NOW it feels like a family reunion.”

Freedom